Apparatus embodying this invention is useful for connecting multiple wires to a connector such as that disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,335. Such a connector includes two parallel rows of slotted contacts having wire-receiving portions into which are received and connected insulation covered wires of a multiple wire cable.
A semi-automatic apparatus for trimming the insulated wires and inserting the trimmed wires into the contacts is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,358. In operation, an operator selects pairs of wires of the cable and presents the same to the apparatus. The apparatus has two reciprocating inserters which trim the pair of presented wires and insert the trimmed wires into corresponding contacts, one in each of the two rows of contacts. The inserters are permanently mounted a fixed distance apart for accommodating therebetween the above identified connector. A motor drive successively advances or transports the connector past the stationary inserters. In doing so, the connector slidably traverses over a work station which conforms closely to the connector profile thereby insuring that the connector is precisely aligned with the stationary inserters. Because the inserters have the conforming work station, they must be carefully positioned in the apparatus. A quick replacement or adaptation of the apparatus to accommodate different connectors is difficult.